Swirl channel branch for a christmas tree



July 7, 1964 J. L. DICK ETAL 3,140,219

SWIRL BRANCH FOR A CHRISTMAS TREE Filed Jan. 4, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY 6% WM July 7', 1964 J. L. DICK ETAL- SWIRL CHANNEL BRANCH FOR A CHRISTMAS TREE 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4, 1962 United States Patent 3,140,219 SWIRL CHANNEL BRANCH FOR A CHRISTMAS TREE John L. Dick and Minnie M. Dick, both of 705 /2 Weston Ave., St. James, Minn. Filed Jan. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 164,303 1 Claim. (Cl. 161-24) This invention relates to a method of and means for making articles or objects such as decorative articles to use for various purposes.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a means for utilizing certain materials such as feathers or the like, wherein such materials are adapted to be fixedly secured in a channel member so that various types of useful or decorative articles can be made as desired or required, and for example with the present invention an unusual and highly attractive Christmas tree or the like can be readily made or formed.

A further object is to provide a method of and means for making various types of articles wherein according to the present invention a channel member is adapted to receive a quantity of a suitable adhesive, and wherein material such as feathers are adapted to have their quills arranged in engagement with the adhesive and then the channel members are adapted to be moved to a closed position and subsequently twisted so that the completed units or articles can be used in making various types of objects or members, and for example the present invention can be used in making Christmas trees, wreaths, floral arrangements, and wherein the present invention also provides a convenient and eflicient means for manufacturing brushes or the like.

Still another object is to provide such a swirl channel that is economical to manufacture and eflicient in operation and which is rugged in structure and foolproof in use. 7

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claim, together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a Christmas tree produced in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing one of the units of the present invention being prepared for use.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective, view showing the method of inserting material or articles such as feathers in a channel member.

FIGURE 4 is a view generally similar to FIGURE 3 but with the feathers inserted and set in place in the channel member.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view showing a channel member twisted into a spiral formation.

FIGURE 6 is a view showing one of the complete units finished and ready to be used.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing how several of the channel members are used.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view looking at one end of a completed unit made according to the present invention.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary perspective View showing how a plurality of the members may be bent or shaped to represent the twigs or branches of a tree.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts broken away and in section, showing a method of attaching the units to a tree trunk.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 20 indicates a decorative object such as a Christmas tree made according to the present invention, and as shown in FIGURE 1 the simulated Christmas tree 20 includes a horizontally disposed base 21 as well as an upstanding trunk 22 which has its lower end suitably affixed to the base 21, and the member such as the Christmas tree 20 is adapted to be made by utilizing a plurality of units 23 which are made in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in FIGURE 2, to make the unit 23, a member 24 which may be initially in a flat condition is adapted to be partially folded so as to define side walls 25 which are interconnected or joined by a web portion 26, whereby the quantity of adhesive or glue 27 can be dispensed into the space between the side walls 25, and for example such adhesive 27 may be dispensed from a paste or adhesive container 28. A steel pin or prong 29 is adapted to be suitably secured to an end of the member 24 for a purpose to be later described.

After the adhesive 27 has been dispensed or placed in the channel member 24, the adhesive 27 may be permitted to set or dry for a predetermined period of time and then a plurality of articles such as feathers 30 are adapted to be arranged so that their quills 32 are arranged in engagement with the adhesive 27, and then the side walls 25 can be tightly crimped together or suitably bent together as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, and subsequently after the adhesive sets or hardens, the channel members are adapted to be twisted so that they assume a spiral formation as for example as shown in FIGURE 5, and these twisted or spiral portions are indicated by the numeral 33.

In FIGURE 7 there is illustrated a method of joining together a plurality of the units 23, and wherein the channel members or units are adapted to be arranged in end to end aligned relation with respect to each other, and a pin or prong 29 from one channel member is adapted to tightly engage an end portion of an adjacent channel member in order to maintain a pair of the units 23 connected together, and the joint between abutting units 23 is indicated by the numeral 34 in FIGURE 7. Thus, the effective length of a unit can be increased as desired or required by utilizing the joining method illustrated in FIGURE 7.

Twisting the channel members so as to cause such channel members to assume positions corresponding to bent twigs or branches of a tree, and such bent units or members are indicated by the numeral 35, and this is illustrated in FIGURE 9. 7

FIGURE 10 shows how the pins or prongs 29 can be arranged in engagement with the tree trunk 22 in order to permit the units properly supported as for example when an article such as the Christmas tree 20 of FIG- URE l is being made.

In FIGURE 1 the numeral 36 indicates ornamental bulbs or ornaments which may be used for decorating the tree 20, and such ornaments may be of conventional construction.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a method of and means for forming articles or objects of a decorative or utilitarian nature, and for example according to the present invention a decorative item such as the Christmas tree 20 may be formed or made. In making an article such as the Christmas tree 20, the trunk 22 may be made of any suitable material such as a natural or synthetic material, and a plurality of the units 23 are adapted to be attached to the trunk 22 as for example as shown in FIGURE 10, and the pointed pins 29 provide a means for attaching the units 23 to the tree trunk 22, and these units are adapted to be arranged in a suitable angular position so that the feathers 30 will assume a configuration that will resemble the usual configuration of a Christmas tree. That is, as shown in FIGURE 1 the units 23 may be arranged so that the lower portion of the tree is of greater size than the upper portion thereof, and the tree may also be decorated with attractive ornaments such as the ornaments 36 to further enhance the attractiveness or esthetic appeal of the tree.

The units 23 are adapted to be made from channel members 24 which serve to receive the quill portions 32 of the feathers 30 therein, and the use of the adhesive 27 serves to insure that the feathers 30 will be maintained fixedly secured to the channel member 24. The side walls or portions 25 of the channel members are adapted to be crimped or moved together so as to exert a clamping action on the quills 32 so as to help retain the quills fixedly retained between the portions 25. After the adhesive 27 properly sets or hardens, the channel members are adapted to be bent or twisted into a spiral configuration as for example as indicated by the numeral 33 in FIGURE 5, and this spiral configuration further increases the attractiveness of the device and also the spiral configuration helps exert an increased clamping action on the quills 32 so as to help insure that the quills do not accidentally separate from the channel members.

As shown in FIGURE 9, after the channel members have been formed as previously-described, they may be bent so that they have an irregular formation or direction whereby such bent channel members will resemble the usual bent twigs or branches found on a real tree.

While the present invention has been specifically described for use in constructing a Christmas tree such as the Christmas tree '20, it is to be understood that the principles of the present invention are applicable to making or constructing other devices, and for example the members or body pieces 30 maybe secured in the channelmembers 24 in the same manner as previously described so as to provide an efiicient and practical way of manufacturing brushes for different purposes.

In addition, while the present invention has been described in connection with the use of feathers being retained connected to the channel members, it is to be understood that other materials besides feathers may be used.

In constructing a Christmas tree such as the Christmas tree 20 the body pieces 30 may be suitably colored or dyed in order to permit or have highly pleasing and desired colors or effects.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes and sizes.

It will therefore be seen that according to the present invention there has been provided a method of and means for aflixing articles such as feathersor other materials to an artificial branch, stem or rod for floral, festive or other purposes, and wherein different types of commercial materials can be used. Heretofore, when making such articles it has been the practice to use wire, tapes, adhesives and the like, but according to the pres ent invention when constructing a Christmas tree, floral design or commercial product, it is only necessary to use a channel member into which is inserted a sufiicient amount of feathers or other decorative or commercial materials and secured in'place by an adhesive. The feathers or other materials are adapted to be arranged and inserted in the open channels where the adhesive material has been previously spread, and then when the adhesive material is sufliciently dry to hold the material, the channel is clamped shut and then twirled as desired. The channel is adapted to be swirled and twisted so that it has a spiral shape in order to obtain the desired effect and fullness required for the specific decoration or othercommercial use.

The channel member can be made of a suitable material such as metal, plastic or the like, and the channel member can be used in the construction of Christmas tree limbs or other decorative designs including wreaths, floral arrangements and also it can be used in manufacturing brushes.

When the channel member is being used in conjunction with a tree trunk, as for example as shown in FIG- URE 10, it may be constructed in one piece with a pin member or prong 29 at one end thereof, or a pin may be welded to thechannel as an alternative construction. One of the important advantages or features of the present invention is the speed with which products or objects can be made securely and permanently.

Although the invention herein described is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative ofthe presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and that the invention is not to be limited to the details of construction herein described other than as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

The combination with an upright tree trunk of a plurality of simulated branches projecting outwardly from said tree trunk, each simulated branch comprising a channel member including side walls interconnected by a web portion, a plurality of body pieces each having one end affixed between said side walls, each of said body pieces being a feather which has its quill positioned between said channel members, adhesive securing said quill in said channel member, said channel member having a spiral configuration, and a pointed pin adhesively affixed to an end of said channel member and received in a bore provided in said tree trunk.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,240,392 Vierlinger Sept. 18, 1917 1,898,769 Gleason Feb. 21, 1933 1,990,407 Kamrass Feb. 5, 1935 2,226,349 Royle Dec. 24, 1940 2,307,286 Matignon Jan. 5, 1943 2,749,638 Fiedler June 12, 1956 2,814,897 Helrich Dec. 3, 1957 2,889,650 Hankus June 9, 1959 

